Requires public institution of higher education to provide academic credit for certain examinations.

A4486

ASSEMBLY, No. 4486

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

222nd LEGISLATURE

�

INTRODUCED FEBRUARY 24, 2026

Sponsored by:

Assemblywoman� VERLINA REYNOLDS-JACKSON

District 15 (Hunterdon and Mercer)

Assemblywoman� LINDA S. CARTER

District 22 (Somerset and Union)

Assemblywoman� ROSAURA "ROSY" BAGOLIE

District 27 (Essex and Passaic)

Co-Sponsored by:

Assemblyman Kearney

SYNOPSIS

���� Requires public institution of higher education to
provide academic credit for certain examinations.

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT

���� As introduced.

��

An Act

concerning
academic credit at public institutions of higher education and supplementing
chapter 61C of Title 18A of the New Jersey Statutes.

����
Be It
Enacted
by the Senate and General Assembly of
the State of New Jersey:

���� 1.��� As used in this act:

���� �Advanced placement course�
means a course aligned with the course descriptions provided by the College
Board which is intended to provide students with the opportunity to complete
college level studies during high school.

���� �Advanced placement
examination� means the advanced placement examination conducted by the College
Board, on the basis of which participating institutions of higher education
award academic credit to a high school student who has completed an advanced placement
course.

���� �College-level examination
program� means the college-level examination program conducted by the College
Board which is intended to provide students with the opportunity to complete
college level studies outside of the classroom.

���� �College-level examination
program learning assessment� means the college-level examination program
learning assessment conducted by the College Board, on the basis of which
participating institutions of higher education award academic credit to a
student who has completed the college-level examination program.

���� �Secretary� means the
Secretary of Higher Education.

���� 2.��� a.� Each public
institution of higher education shall award academic credit to a student for
advanced placement examinations and college-level examination program learning
assessments provided that the student:

���� (1) is pursuing an associates
or baccalaureate degree;

���� (2) completed the applicable
advanced placement course and examination or college-level examination program
and learning assessment prior to enrollment in the institution; and

���� (3) in the case of an advanced
placement course, earned a score of three or higher, and, in the case of a
college-level examination program learning assessment, earned a score of 50 or
higher.

���� b.� Each institution shall, to
the greatest extent feasible, apply academic credits awarded pursuant to
subsection a. of this section to a student�s academic degree requirements.

���� c.� Each institution shall
post on its website the institution�s policies and procedures for awarding
academic credit for advanced placement examinations and college-level
examination program learning assessments.

���� d.� Each institution shall
submit its policies and procedures for awarding academic credit for advanced
placement examinations and college-level examination program learning
assessments to the Secretary of Higher Education and shall notify the secretary
of any change to the institution�s policies and procedures no less than 60 days
before the change takes effect.

���� 3.��� a.� The Secretary of
Higher Education may provide a public institution of higher education with an
exemption from section 2 of this act on an individual course basis provided
that the institution submits data that a required score differing from the provisions
of section 2 of this act is necessary for a student to be successful in a
related or more advanced course.

���� b.� The Office of the
Secretary of Higher Education shall post on its website each institution�s
policies and procedures and changes to the policies and procedures received
pursuant to subsection d. of section 2 of this act.

���� 4.� This act shall take effect
immediately and shall first apply to the first full academic year following the
date of enactment.

STATEMENT

���� This bill requires public
institutions of higher education to provide academic credit to students who
receive a score of three or above on an advanced placement examination or a
score of 50 or above on a college-level examination program learning assessment.

���� Under the bill, to receive the
academic credit, a student is required to: be pursuing an associate or
baccalaureate degree; have completed either the applicable advanced placement
course and examination or the applicable college-level examination program and
learning assessment; and have attained the applicable scores for the advanced
placement examination and college-level examination program learning
assessment.

���� Additionally, the bill
requires each institution to post the institution�s policies and procedures for
awarding academic credit for advanced placement examinations and college-level
examination program learning assessments on its website and submit the policies
and procedures to the Secretary of Higher Education. The Office of the
Secretary of Higher Education is subsequently required to post each
institution�s policies and procedures on the office�s website. The bill also
requires each institution to report any proposed change to the policies and
procedures to the secretary no less than 60 days before the change takes
effect.

���� Finally, the bill permits the
secretary to provide an institution with an exemption to the academic credit
requirements established under the bill on an individual course basis provided
that the institution submits data that a required score differing from the
academic credit requirements established under the bill are necessary for a
student to be successful in a related or more advanced course.